The President of the Botswana National Front (BNF) who is also leader of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), Duma Boko, has said his party will never pull out of the UDC come rain or sunshine.
Speaking at the launch of UDC in Molepolole at the weekend which was attended by MP for Molepolole South, Daniel Kwelagobe, former president of the customary court of appeal Kgosikwena Sebele and Kabo Sebele, Boko said that he is implementing the mandate of his party therefore he has no power to change or repudiate it unless members do so.
Boko said all the noises in the media about the umbrella will never shake him as they make him stronger.
Boko said party symbols will never and have never solved problems besieging Batswana. He said there are many party symbols in Botswana yet Batswana are still confronted by many problems.
He said many people who are complaining about party colours are those who join active politics for employment but not for serving the party and the nation.
“It is impossible for me to repudiate from the mandate I got from the BNF Congress. I have no power to reject that mandate. I shall be implementing it as it is. Those who are saying there are fallouts in BNF leadership need to first understand what the word fallout means. Just mere differences are regarded as fallouts,” he said.
Boko said 2014 is the opportune time for the Umbrella to take government. He said if it does not, then it would have given the BDP another lease of life on a silver platter.
He said the UDC will not concern itself with shadow cabinet as other parties are doing but will rather come up with a government structure which will detail how government will be run.
“We will transform the ministries and give them new mandates. Instead of having ministry of justice, defence and security, we will have a ministry of justice and constitutional affairs.”
Boko said the ministry will make sure that everyone’s constitutional rights are safeguarded and protected. That ministry will not allow what is happening today where people are shot for laptops, he said.
Boko did not mince his words in condemning the government for provision of substandard social services.
He said a classical failure by the BDP is manifested in their provision of social services.
Boko said ministers never attend their illness in public hospitals but are rather flown to South Africa. He also said the children of ministers also do not attend public schools as they are taken to private schools. He said this is a clear vote of no confidence by the BDP on its own policies.
The UDC leader said in Britain, when David Cameron took office, he had to transfer his children to government school because it would have been a insult to the Britons for him to have his children in private schools while the citizens go to public schools which are under his government.
speaking at the same  rally, UDC secretary general, Gomolemo Motswaledi said that all the three parties under the Umbrella have vowed that they will rally behind Boko whether any person likes or not.
He said it should not be surprising when others are against Boko being the president because the vow was that, Boko be the leader, “whether anyone likes it or not.”
He said as political parties prepare for elections, the UDC will be running a campaign different from others. “We will be emphasising what we have to offer this country.”
He also revealed that the umbrella will be releasing its draft manifesto this week and it will be open for members to have their input.
